Georgia Bulldogs: 2012 NFL draft

Seven players from Georgia’s 2012 team were taken last month in the NFL draft, tying for the second-highest number of players drafted, behind Alabama’s eight. Considering that at least five players from the Georgia defense could have left early, the Bulldogs might then have led the nation in players taken. The DawgNation Roundtable this week focuses on the players who were drafted, and their potential NFL success.

“Of the Georgia players drafted, who do you think will have the most successful NFL career?”

Dale Zanine/US PresswireFormer UGA center Ben Jones is versatile enough to help the Houston Texans at guard as well.

David Ching: The most obvious here is Cordy Glenn, whose size and versatility should keep him in the NFL for a long time. There is a reason so many NFL draft analysts projected him as a possible first-round pick with the potential to become an All-Pro guard. Even if he plays right tackle in the league, the Buffalo Bills have a mainstay on their offensive line for years to come.

Day 2 of the NFL draft has come and gone with only one Georgia player -- offensive lineman Cordy Glenn -- being picked.

Projected by many draft experts as a first-round pick, Glenn slipped to the second round, where the Buffalo Bills grabbed him with the 41st pick. Former Bulldogs Brandon Boykin and Orson Charles both had hopes of landing in the second or third rounds, but neither player made it off the board by the end of the night.

Rounds 4-7 will begin Saturday at noon ET on ESPN, with Boykin, Charles and several other ex-Bulldogs hoping to hear their names called on the draft’s final day.

Center Ben Jones, punter Drew Butler, defensive tackle DeAngelo Tyson and kicker Blair Walsh are also among the potential ex-Bulldog draft picks. Several more should have the opportunity to sign deals with NFL clubs as undrafted free agents.

Offensive lineman Cordy Glenn became the first Georgia player selected in the NFL draft Friday night when the Buffalo Bills picked him 41st overall in the second round, which he described as "probably the happiest moment of my life."

Glenn admitted he was surprised that he lasted until the second round, but said he was pleased that he wound up with Buffalo, one of his favorite teams.

"I did actually," Glenn said. "But things happen for a reason. I am just happy to be with the Bills."

Recruiting Rewind: Looking back at the top prospects in the NFL draft, including UGA's Cordy Glenn, reveals how far former top-notch recruits have come -- as well as how different college football could have been had some recruiting battles gone another way.

ESPN's Todd McShay will have a final update on the first round Thursday morning in the hours leading up to the first overall pick, but here's a match-up of prospects to team needs up and down the board, which includes Georgia's Cordy Glenn going to Cleveland in the first round and Orson Charles heading just down the road to the Falcons in the third round.

Scouts Inc. breaks down the 2012 class in each position group, including the top prospects in each of the position-specific categories Scouts uses in evaluations, along with a listing of all draft-ready prospects, four-year combine averages, picks in Rounds 1-2, and three-year market trends for each position.

ESPN's Todd McShay analyzes the top 100 players in the NFL draft, breaking them down on his board into seven tiers, from the top five, who are considered elite prospects, to those who are solid third-rounders. This is the kind of tool many teams use on draft weekend when considering trades and whether a player is a value pick or a reach. Read more here.

The former Georgia punter knows history dictates that few players at his position are selected in the NFL draft, but it is important to Butler that he become a drafted player.

“I think I’ve worked extremely hard throughout the past four years to become a draft-able choice,” Butler said, “and I think I’ve worked extremely hard throughout this entire evaluation process to be considered the top punter in the draft and to be that first punter taken off the board.”

ATHENS, Ga. -- DeAngelo Tyson didn’t get a chance to shine at the NFL scouting combine, so he knew Monday’s on-campus pro day workouts were his last chance for such a large number of league personnel reps to see what he can do.

Tyson seemed to make the most of the opportunity, turning in one of the most impressive performances among the 12 former Bulldogs who participated in the event.

“I did what my goal was set to be,” Tyson said. “I just accomplished a lot. It’s my dream to play football and I think I’m making a big step toward doing that.”

Georgia's Brandon Boykin is in Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine, but he won't compete when the defensive backs hit the field Tuesday.

Boykin hasn't fully recovered from a leg fracture he sustained last month when he was blocked in the back while covering a punt at the Senior Bowl. He says he's already walking on the leg and should make a full recovery soon, but he has not healed well enough to participate in the combine or in Georgia's pro day next week.